Ashleigh Naada Cooper, Dominican Republic Summer Youth Facilitator, 2010

Ashleigh Naada Cooper is a rising second-year Master of Social Work degree candidate at Columbia University. Ashleigh’s field of practice is Social Enterprise Administration with a concentration in International Social Welfare. Her first year field placement site was at Harlem Hospital where she worked in both the Infectious Disease and the Palliative Care units. She provided case management, counseling and individual therapy for HIV/AIDS clients, serving a large population of undocumented immigrants and refugees. Additionally, she coordinated and conducted intake assessments, developed treatment plans and interventions, and offered long-term supportive services for chronically ill and/or terminal patients. She also managed fundraising and donation efforts, as well as provided trauma counseling with the Haitian Relief team. Prior to entering Columbia University, Ashleigh taught at the Kindergarten grade level at a Washington, DC Charter School for two years. She was responsible for developing and implementing lessons plans, organizing and managing the classroom, directing and managing one teacher’s assistant, and maintaining communication efforts among parents/guardians. Additional community involvement includes experience as a mentor coach at Temple University Tutors, co-team leader organizing domestic and international outreach with Girl Scouts of America, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. All experiences have and continue to shape Ashleigh’s passion for social justice, advocacy, and scholastic and ethical advances in minority populations.